Vibration feeling and double beats

[tanns]

I have been having a strange "vibrating" sensation in my left chest area for quite a while now.  When it first started to happen my pulse would be elevated but regular.  Now when it happens my pulse is regular and not really fast.  I guess I am not so panicked about it.  I am very concerned however.  It only occurs in the left chest area and usually only at night.  Sometimes I can initiate it just simply by laying on my left side however it has happened when I've been on my back and I've woken up with it happening.  After it stops I have a soreness in my left chest area kind of where you would be your hand when saying the "pledge".  It is also sore in the same spot on my back, kind of under the shoulder blade.

I have been seen my 4 cardiologist, the last being at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.  They have ruled out, to the best of their ability (with LOTS of tests), coronary artery disease.  I am wondering if this can be some kind of arrhythmia.  I have had two event monitors and two holters.  At one point I had this sensation, although on a smaller scale, with the event monitor.  I called it in and nothing was said and my doctor didn't call me.

Also, I have a lot of sensations like others describe on here with their PVC's or PAC's.  When the sensation happens, I check my pulse at my wrist.  It is normal.  The only thing I've felt is in my neck pulse is beat, beat, beat, beat-beat, beat.  No pauses just like a double every now and again.  

The vibration is really concerning me because of the soreness that happens after.  I've mentioned it to two other doctors, it hasn't rung any bells with anyone.  It is real, it is there and pretty scary.  Also, (because I TRY not to google anything anymore), is the "double beat" of any significance or is that just a natural occurance?   And one more, is an EP study something that should be considered?

[Michael J. McWilliams, M.D.]

The vibration is really concerning me because of the soreness that happens after.  I've mentioned it to two other doctors, it hasn't rung any bells with anyone.  It is real, it is there and pretty scary.  Also, (because I TRY not to google anything anymore), is the "double beat" of any significance or is that just a natural occurance?  

If you have a normal echo, ekg, and history and physical, there is not reason to believe they are dangerous.  If it is a rhythm issue, the only way to know is capture it on a monitor.  If it is rare occurance, it will be difficult.  It sounds lke your doctors are not worried about it.

And one more, is an EP study something that should be considered?

If you ask enough doctors, someone will eventuall do an EP study.  From what you describe, I do not think one is indicated yet.

I have heard the "vibation" in my chest concern before and have never been able to explain it with an arrhythmia (yet).

I hope this helps.    

[tanns]

I forgot to mention that at times I have dizzy or nauseousness with the vibration.  Sometimes I have to swallow really hard to keep from getting sick.  I am not sure I would relate this to the vibration or a cause of the nervousness over the vibration.

[tanns]

Sorry, I keep thinking of things.  The last thing the doc at Mayo Clinic said after my followup was "we'll have to wait for something to present itself".  In your experience, do such chronic things (I've posted months ago about having classic heart disease symptoms) that occur with no pattern for so long all of the sudden "present" themselves as something?

I've explored other disciplines for the cause of the chest pain but right now it's nothing.  My CRP is elevated, WBC high and mean platelet volume low- -those are about the most off "normal" findings that I've had.

[Dootles]

So sad that this type of irregular beats etc really cause us such emotional pain. I to have the vibration but there always present with the pvc episodes that i have. Try to remain calm as i know this is easier said then done.
If its really buggin you keep buggin your doctor. I have to had tons of test for years and they always say the same thing. Its stress and anxiety! Well this is causing me stress as well. Gosh no rest for the weiry ha..
Good luck

[aussie mum]

Hi hope this email is finding you well !! Just wondering if you have ever had your gallbladder checked out ?? Why you may ask ?? Well bit of a long story but here goes.... After the birth of my third child (now a wonderful 18 months old) i started having pac/pvc/svt but i also started having all of the things that you described in your post. At the time when all of this was happening i felt (no i know !!) that i was being fogged off by the medico's (in regards to the pain etc) that in the end i just got used to the pain etc. Now 18 months on guess what i have multi-able gallstones and need to have my gallbladder removed. And i have now found out the things that i HAVE been feeling (not including the palps/svt) are to do with the gallstones/gallbladder !!

So it may be something to think about....

Take care :}

[tanns]

Dootles:  If the chest pain would leave, my anxiety would most likely disappear.  I just haven't been able to pinpoint the source and it is so frustrating.  I had no anxiety before the chest pain started.  It is crazy!!

Aussie mum:  I had my gallbladder checked when this all started but the new internal med doc I saw said that it is still possible it is my gallbladder.  I have an abdominal and pelvic CT next Wednesday and then back to my gastro doc and we'll be discussing the 'ole gallbladder again!  

Thank you both for responding, have a great day!!!

[aussie mum]

Hi hope all goes well with your scan and they find out what is causing this !!

Keep us posted when you get your results.

Take care :}

[tanns]

Thanks you for your kind words.

[Mscookie]

I'm 12 weeks post partum and I get the same type of beats EXACTLY except I don't get the vibration thing.  I also get the beat, beat, beat, beat-beat, beat.  They get heaps worse when I focus and worry about them.  I have had an Echo and Ekg, and I actually saw my heart do the beat-beat thing on screen it was just like a normal beat but two quick ones.  Well my Cardio wasn't at all concerned and sent me on my way.

I am going back for a Holter though in a week just so the Doc can see it on paper (that was MY idea) as I get them regularly every day.  So I hope this makes you feel a little better that someone else has the beat-beat thing and not the usual "beat pause and then THUD"

[arthur]

I've had the vibration thing ever since lone afib errupted about 5 years ago.  It is characterized much the same as yours...a steady vibration within the chest (at least 300 bpm) which occurs whether you have PACs or not (ie, with a steady, normal heart beat).  It is almost palpable, felt more strongly in certain sitting or lying positions.  Almost certainly located behind the heart, perhaps somewhat above it.  It does not get picked up on a EKG, although I never tried using a transesophageal EKG which might be more sensitive, and in fact, closer to the source.

After discussion with a variety of cardios and EPs, two ideas have come up: (1) that it is a complaint that others have made (that's a great help), and (2) it could very well be the very tiny vibration that a focus or foci produce as they twitter, and if they are located in the most popular spot (PV ostia), that would put them to the rear and above the heart.  The reason you feel them could be tied to nearby normal nervous systems.

No solution.  The foci will last as long as the heart does (made up of the same muscle tissue).  There's a small chance that if they are twittering at a very high rate, they could "burn out", but I wouldn't count on it, since the heart was made to last.  Since this is not a life threatening condition, I also wouldn't count on any cardios or EPs to work out a method to deal with them, unless of course, you have afib or some other such arrhythmia worthy of ablation.

-Arthur

[justin954]

well, last couple days i been feling good, i jus started working out like a month ago, then like a few day ago, my heart will like skip beat sometimes, then go back to the regular beat, i mean i have no symptoms or nothing like that, jus once in a while it jus skip a beat, whats going on?

[justin954]

i jus started working out say a month ago, n all of a sudden a few days ago all of a sudden my heart seems to skip beats somtimes,but go back to regular beating, and i have no kinda symptons nothing like that, jus that, i dont ever feel im fina faint or feel dizzy, jus through out the day it jus skip beats somtimes and go back to the regular heart beat, and my blood pressure is fine, but whats going on with that?

[tanns]

If you think about it, please let me know what that beat-beat thing is after your visit.  The forum doc didn't address that part of my question but honestly, my question wasn't all that organized!  It does make me feel better that you had it on an EKG and your doc saw it and still sent you on your way!  I guess if it was serious he would have kept you and did more tests.  

For all I know though, this could be the way my heart has always beat and I'm only noticing it because of the paranoia I've acquired after chest pain.  I do check my pulse, not all the time anymore, but whenever I start to feel weird.  That should probably stop!  

Good luck at your visit, I hope things turn out well for you.

[tanns]

Thank you for responding.  The vibration that you feel, does it make your heart rate go to 300?  Mine is elevated but not even close to that.  I don't have afib but I thought for a while that this vibration was it.  

If this sensation is coming from the heart, why wouldn't an EKG, holter or event monitor pick it up?  Forgive me if the question is incredibly dumb, I have been having chest discomfort for almost 2 years but I still am not all that knowledgeable about the heart.  I think in my case, reading too much about it would be a bad thing.  I am trying to differentiate between the heart issue and the anxiety it has caused.  This vibration scared me pretty good and it is good to hear that you've got a pretty good explanation of it that isn't life threatening!

Thank you again for your time, your response is very much appreciated.

[arthur]

The vibration can be slow enough to get a rough count (beats per minute), which started for me as 200-250 bpm a few years ago, and has now matured to something over 300, as I cannot accurately count it.  This is not the heart beat or heart rate, it's completely independent of the heart rate or any arrythmia.  I believe the reason it cannot be detected by EKG is that the signal strength is quite weak.  Unlike a real arrythmia which involves large cardiac muscle movement,  a focus represents a small section of the cardiac muscular structure, often found near the back of the heart where the pulmonary veins are attached.  Foci characteristically are ALWAYS firing away.  Occassional PACs or PVCs can result because some of the ions pumped by these foci eventually leach through tissue and reach an active, normal ion channel used by your heart for signalling, and cause the heart to beat prematurely.  

The sensation of this vibration is actually similar to AFIB, where the upper chambers of the heart, the atria, are firing off in a continuous and rapid manner.  In that case, an EKG picks up their motion, which shows up as a tiny set waves, regularly spaced and at rates of about 150-250 bpm.  

But, like I said earlier, this is not AFIB, nor is it any defined arrythmia since the heart can beat normally while it happens.  So, it's basically benign.  I also believe that the tendency to feel it can be linked to your level of anxiety.  As mentioned previously, the fact that you can feel this tiny vibration in a heart muscle must mean it's getting amplified, and that can only happen if it's getting picked up by a nearby nervous system.  If that nervous system is heightened by anxiety, it's quite likely that you'll "feel" the vibrations even more.  Foci of this kind are often referred to as "concealed", since they have a tough time affecting your heart.

-Arthur

[tanns]

Arthur, thank you so much for your very detailed response.  I do admit that the anxiety factor (which was none before) has a role in all this.  Unfortunately, I do not feel anxiety or stress until either the vibration or the chest pains begin.  Fortunately, my tests have all be "normal".  Unfortunately, the chest pain persists despite attempts to find its origin.  But now I feel like I can put the vibration thing behind me and just let it be.  Maybe by doing that the anxiety over it will die down too.  Your explaination really helped as it is one more concern off my list.

Thank you again, your response was very clear and I really do appreciate it.

[nicole2186]

i have had something similar happen to me lately..the same strange "double beats" and the feeling of the beat in my neck...ive also be wondering what this could mean. i also get it when im at rest and when i lay on my left side, and when i check my pulse, it feels normal. i also sometimes get random beats that i can feel in my ribs. this seems somewhat similar to what you discribed. ive been told by friends to just go to the doctor, but i have had EKGs and what not in the past and they never find anything, so im hesitant to go back and spend the money if they are again going to tell me there is nothing wrong. im only 21 so these issues seem sort of odd to me to be having this young. if anyone has heard about anything with these symptoms...please let me know.

[mom3kids98]

Hi. Did you have your gall bladder taken out? I have a history of mvp and racing heart stuff. I am on toprol xl for it. They have flared up lately out of the blue and I had gall bladder problems about 8 yrs ago but it cleared up. Now I am also having nausea and loss of appetite and sob. Was your gall bladder causing your heart symptoms? Thanks, Joy